Open fire kiln



Aug. 17 1926.

P. A. MEEHAN OPEN FIRE KILN Filed August 21 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 17,1926.

UNETED stares PATENT orrics.

PAUL A. MEEHAN, or CLEVELAND, onro,

assrenon TO AMERICAN DRESSLER TUN- NEL KILNS, Inc, COUNTY or CUYAP'OGA, on o, A CORPORATION or new YORK.

OPEN FIRE KILN.

Application filed August 21, 1.924. Serial No. 733,306.

The general object of my present invention is to provide an improved door arrangement for the exit end of a continuous tunnel kiln More specifically, the object of my invention is to provide kilnexit doors of simple construction and comprising simple, reliable and effective provisions for normally locking the door parts in their closed position and for effecting the automatic release and opening of the doors on the engagement therewith of the kiln cars as the latter successively approach the exit end of thekiln at the end of their travel through the latter.

The various features of novelty which characterize my inventionare pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a. part of this specification, but for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, HDClSPBClfiC objects attained with its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive .matter in which I have illustrated and de scribed a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Of'the drawings: a

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a continuous tunnel kiln equipped with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the exit end kiln doors;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 2; and V Fig. 4 is a section onthe line 4- of Fig. 2.

In the drawings A designates a somewhat conventionally illustrated tunnel kiln having a heating zone A with combustion chambers -B at the sides thereof, a cooling zone A and exit doors E and EA at the exit end of the cooling zonesection of the kiln. As shown, the two doors E and EA are substantially similar in construction and are each connected by hinges E to the corresponding side portion of the door frame. .The doors as shown are formed of metal plates suitably reenforced by stiffening bars. The upper edges of the doors overlap the lintel portion of the door frame, and their lower edges overlap a door sill member F which is slotted for the passage of the kiln track rails C, and

for the kiln car wheel flanges. The door E is provided at its free edge with a cover plate E overlaping the free edge of the door The door E is also provided with series of Fig.

portion extending through "lever I to unlock the doors. movement of the car after engaging the bars E will gradually open the doors. v Thefact of guides E for vertical removable upper and lower bolts or locking bars G and 9, respectively. The doors are locked in their 0 osed position by moving the bars G and g up and down, respectively,

cured tothe lintel and sill portions, respectively, of the door frame. The bars G and g are advanced and retracted by means of a lever I pivoted at I in brackets E secured to the door E. The lever I is connected to the adjacent ends ofthebars Grand- 9 at opposit-e sides of its pivot I by links or connecting rods J. The lever I comprises a a slot in the door E and provided at the inner side of the door with a curved shoe or bearing portion 2 engaged by the front end of a kiln car moving into proximity with the exit end oft-he kiln. As the motion of-the car toward the exit end of the kiln continues the'lever-portion 71 is engaged and the lever I is turned on its pivot and thereby retracts the looking bars G and g and releases the doors E and EA before the" approaching kiln car comes into direct engagement with the doors. Each of the doors E and EA is provided witha horizontal bearing in the form of a bar E engaged by'the car body as the moveafter tilting the ment of the latter continues I The continued that the slide bars E project into the kiln farther than do other portions of the doors when the latter are closed tends to prevent engagement of the upper portions of the doors by material (not'shown) which may be loaded on-the car. In the regular intended operation of the kiln as soon as an approaching car releases the doors E and EA the latter are manually opened by a kiln attendant who connects the car to external door operating provisions which pull the car out of the kiln far enough to permit the doors to be again manually closed and .locked in place. The movement and position of the external end of the lever I indicates to the attendant the time when the car should be thus removed. Should the into engagement with the correspondmg keepers H and h, se-

signal indication thus made be overlooked or for some other reason is not responded to. the continued movement of the train of cars in the kiln slowly pushes the front car out of the kiln, and the simple and effective door releasing and operating provisions disclosed effectively prevent injury to the cars and doors which would result ii" no such provisions were employed. The damage otherwise possible under such circumstances has heretofore led to the use of: electrical control provisions much less simple, expensive and reliable than the door releasing provisions illustrated herein.

Ffi represents a latch pivotally connected to the door and operating to prevent the bar G and thereby'the bar 9 from being advanced accidentally or by the weight of the lever I while the doors are open. This latch may be manually released. to permit the doors to be locked in place by simple lifting the free outer end of the latch.

Vhile in accordance with the provisions and statutes I have illustrated and described the best form of my invention now known to me it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims and that certain features of the invention may sometimes be used without a corresponding use of other tea tures.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a continuous tunnel kiln, of a door for the exit end of the kilnand a locking mechanism for se curing the door in its closed position comprising a mechanical releasing part mounted on the door and projecting into the kiln in the path of an approaching car and adapted to be operated by the car as the latter approaches the kiln door.

'2. The combination with a continuous tunnel kiln, of the door for the exit end of the kiln and a locking mechanisnifor securing the-door in its closed'position including mechanical actuating means mounted on the doorand comprising a part external to the latter by which the door may be manually locked in place or released and a part at the inner side of the door adapted to be engaged by an approaching car and thereby operated to release the door.

3. The combination with a continuous tunnel kiln and a locking mechanism "for securing the door in its closed position comprising an actuating lever mounted on the door and projecting through the latter and having an external portion manually operable to lock and unlock the door and an internal part adapted to be engaged by. an

approaching kiln car and thereby actuated to unlock the door.

l. The combination with a continuous tunnel kiln, of an exit door hinge connected to the kiln structure at the side of the latter part and provided with a horizontally elongated bearing surface projecting away from lower portion of the inner side of the door into the kiln beyond portions of the door located at higher levels, said surface being in position to be engaged by the body of an approaching car whereby the latter may push'the dooropen after the lat ter has been unlocked and a locxing mechanism for the door including a releasing part adapted to be engaged by an approaching car and thereby actuated to release thedoor.

5.'The combination with a continuous tunnel kiln, of a door for the exit end of the latter formed with a slot, vertically movable upper and lower the door, a lever pivotally mounted on the door and extending through said slot into the path of an approaching car, and connections between'said bolts and lever whereby the bolts may be advanced or retracted by manual actuation of the external end of the lever and retracted byengagement of an approaching car'with the inserted end of the lever.

6. The combination vwith a continuous tunnel kiln, of exit doors hinge connected to the kiln structure at the sides of the latter and provided with horizontally elongated caring surfaces projectingaway from the inner sides of the doors in position to be engaged by an approaching car whereby the latter may push the doors open after the latter have been unlocked, mechanism mounted on one of said doors for locking the latter in its closed position including a part at the inner side 01 the door in position to be engaged and thereby released by an approaching kiln car, and means carried by said one door for holding the other door in its closed position when said one door is closed.

Signed at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, and State of ()hio, this 18th day of i lugust, A. D. 192%.

. .PAUL A. MEEHAN.

end of the locking bolts mounted on 

